The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-11-26
TRICKS OF MEMORY.
BY RICHARD A. PROCTOR.

terested in the inquiry how far mem- ory is a measure of mental strength. In childhood and boyhood we find memory occupying so high a po- sition among mental qualities that the idea grows up with most of us that he who has the best memory has also most talent, if even a remark able memory be not regarded as of itself proving absolute genius. At least this is so in most of our English schools, where the boy who remem- bers his lessons best takes highest po- sition, not he who best understands them.
 remember learning very early that memory and mental power, though they may be associated together, are yet very different things. 1 somewhat valued my memory, which had often stood in me good stead in examina- tions, the only tests with which boy hood is apt to be acquainted; but I valued more the power (not that 1 knew it as in any way indicating men tai power) of understanding and en- toying the reasoning of dear old Flu clid, the one geometrician with whom, in those days, English school lads could become acquainted. Soon after had left school-and when l was a freshman at college-I made the &C., quaintance of young man of about my own age who possessed a most marvellous memory, while he also showed most marvellous mental den- sity. He had occasion to pass exam ination in Euclid, as we all of las did at the university at those times, q believe they have a more sensible way of teaching geometry now); and one would have said that he would have been singularly successful in these examinations, for though he had only read through our college Eu- clid once, he could recite or write out the whole of it. Or, if preferred, he could begin at any point where one might start him and produce any quantity, cerbdttm ct Merdtim,-dtque punctUdtin, so far as that was con cerned. But not only was he utterly unable to understand word of it at all, he had not even brains enough to keep his real ignorance of Euclid to himself. He was always forgetting the good old rule ne quid minis ]; and as he did not know where to stop in his marvellous recitations, the ex- aminers naturally came to the concu- sion, perfectly justified by the facts, that though he knew his Euclid by heart he knew nothing about geome- try. His knowledge was akin to that of one who should repeat by note a number of Greek or Hebrew words, the meaning of which was unknown to him; or like that of tutor once had, who when hearing me deal with a problem in Euclid would send me back to relearn my lesson if called a triangle A c B instead of A B c as the book showed it.
 We need not then either despair of our mental powers when we hear oi marvellous feats of memory, or even think that our minds are failing be- cause with advancing years our mem- ory may occasionally play us false Memory, as Dr. Dordat. of Montpe- Her, long since pointed out, and as hundreds of facts show, is rather the offspring of the vital force than of the intellectual principle; and it is not surprising if in old age, when the vii tai force diminishes, memory should sometimes fail, even while the intel lectual power preserves its full integ- rity. AS for marvellous feats of mem- ory, though they certainly indicate possibilities of future developments which would greatly increase mans grasp over mental problems, they need no more discourage those who feel in- capable of any achievements in this line than the powers of Blind Tom should cause those who see his per. formances to despair because they car never hope to do the like.
 The examples themselves which most strikingly display the capacity of special brains for remembering words and syllables show also how little this capacity has to do with in- tellectual power-some of them in- deed seem almost to suggest that q very keen memory may be a mark oi disease. That excessive keenness oi memory may result from diseased cerebral action is indeed certain; but fortunately we are not obliged to re- gard this fact as giving any unpleas- ant significance to exceptionally good powers of remembrance. If foolish ol even idiotic persons, or persons in ths delirium ot fever, have manifested re- markable memories, men like Macau. lay, Preston, Suler and others hay, had remarkable memories without be. ing feeble minded and without tn, aid of disease.
 Pepys tells us of an Indian who could repeat long passage in Greel or Hebrew after it had been recited tc him only once, though he was ignor. ant of either language. This mar